Finding Daddy
by examinings
Summary: After a terrible accident, Ron's memory has been erased. He can't remember his family, his girlfriend, or his unborn child. Desperate and devastated, the mother chooses to keep the father of her child in the dark. Can the love of a child change it all?
1. Prologue

"Open my gift last, Bonnie!" A girl in black pigtails shrieked. The little child named Bonnie giggled, her blue eyes flashing with excitement. She tore off the paper to reveal a miniature broomstick just the right size for a six year old. Bonnie smiled even wider, turning and raising the gift up to a woman with brown, bushy curls, whose name happened to be Hermione Granger.

"Look what Lillie got me, mommy! Look at it! Can I ride it?" She flashed her smile, her freckles dancing on her cheeks. It was true that Bonnie was a beautiful child. She had curly red hair, a splatter of freckles, and baby blue eyes that caused her mother to always give in to whatever she wanted. Slowly, her mother nodded. Bonnie shrieked and tossed her arms around Hermione, laughing. "Thank you!" She called behind her as she began to run. Her mother sighed.

"I know a wonderful gift you could have given her." Hermione jumped, looking behind her to see Harry Potter. He was looking at her with a sad expression on his face, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "A father." Hermione's face fell and she swatted Harry away.

"Stop that. I thought you would have learned by now." She looked up to see her daughter soaring on her broomstick, being chased by her uncles Fred and George. Amazing, how skilled she was at such a young age. She tried to smile, but a smile wouldn't come. "See? You've just ruined it all. Now I'm depressed."

"He's been trying, Hermione. All he needs is that push. Just a little push could trigger everything. You, Bonnie, your life with him... it could all come back." Harry looked at his best friend with sympathy and care. "She's going to ask about her daddy someday. She'll see me with Lillie and James, or she'll see Fred with Macy, or Bill with one of his kids... she'll know something's missing." Hermione's face grew blank, and she swallowed hard.

"I'll tell her when the time is right." She answered emptily. "But now isn't the time." She wanted to tell Harry that there would never be a time, because Ron would never remember her. And as long as that was so, then she wouldn't tell her child about her father, the father that didn't know who she really was.

"When is the time, Hermione? When he's decided that he has no romantic past and decides to go off with some random girl and get married and have his own new family? When, Hermione?" Harry asked, placing a firm and unmoving hand on her shoulder. She blinked, a tear rolling down her face. She didn't tell Harry that she had the intention of never telling Bonnie who her father was.

"He has memories of Ginny. He remembers a little about you. He doesn't remember me as we were. I'm just his friend. The bookworm he hung out with in school. Not his girlfriend, not the mother of his child. Just a friend." Hermione tried to keep in her tears; this was a birthday party after all.

"Just one thing, Hermione. A memory, a statement, a touch; the healers even said so." Hermione stood up and turned to face Harry, a look of desperation and hurt in her eyes.

"I'm not going to force the memory on him." She whispered. "If he really, truly loved me, he'd know. He told me that he'd love me no matter what, that he'd come back to me no matter what happened. And he hasn't come back." She paused, then turned and began to walk away.

"Think about Bonnie!" Harry called out, and Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. She spun and glared back at him as though he had just cast an unforgivable curse. "Growing up without a dad, with just one parent! Think about her, Hermione!" Her heart physically ached.

"That's why I'm doing this." She answered through her tears, before disappearing into the house.

**Author's Note: **First of all, thank you guys for reading this! It means a lot. Second of all, a little backstory on this story: I started writing it before Deathly Hallows came out so yes, it is AU. However, only the first three chapters were written before my old computer crashed and deleted everything. Recently I've been inspired to pick the story back up where it left off. I've done little editing to the first few chapters, and I will let you all know when the new writing starts. Once again, thank you so much for reading.


	2. Pancakes

"_Well, well, Hermione. You're just glowing today." Ron smiled. "And you look even more gorgeous than usual. What's the occasion?" Hermione blushed, her hand running over the fabric that covered her then-flat stomach._

_"Nothing, really." She bit her lip, trying to hold in her smile and her news. But, she was Hermione Granger, and she couldn't keep quiet for long when it came to him. "I got you something." She pulled a small bag from behind her back and handed it to Ron. He grinned._

_"What? You didn't have to, love." He laughed, opening the bag. He pulled out a tiny maroon jumper, and his eyes widened. He noted her hand on her stomach, and looked into her eyes. "Tell me." He demanded through his wide grin. "Tell me now, or I'll bloody explode." Hermione couldn't take it anymore and she threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him over._

_"I'm pregnant, Ron!" She beamed, clinging to him. "I'm having a baby!"_

_"A baby, love! We're going to have a family!" He spun her around, and brought her down, kissing her on the lips. "Our baby, Hermione! Our baby..." _

* * *

Hermione suddenly shot up in her bed, her hand clutching her heaving chest. Her heart felt as if it was about to fly out of her chest, and her head was pounding. _Why that dream again_, she thought to herself, _why do I keep having that dream? _She sighed, and glancing at the alarm clock; it was only five in the morning and she wasn't required to be up for work for another hour. She closed her eyes, settling back down in bed and letting her breathing return to normal as she drifted back to sleep. Only this time, a different dream followed.

* * *

_"There's too many of them!" Hermione shouted, one hand clutching her wand and the other placed protectively on her slightly swollen belly that she'd hidden behind an oversized sweater that had belonged to Ron. "We need more people!"_

_"We don't have a chance unless we can get a bigger group!" Ron replied, both of them looking at Harry as if he held all the answers. "What are we supposed to do?"_

_"You," Harry began, pointing at Hermione. "You need to go back. You can't risk the life of your child out here, Hermione! It's not safe!"_

_"I'm not going to leave you two alone! We're in this together!" She looked at Ron, who was torn. "I'm not leaving." She said calmly, staring straight into his eyes, unwavering._

_"I know." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and then looked at Harry. "We don't have time to argue. We need to go!" They looked behind them at the army on their side. They could see everyone they knew, and others they did not. The crowd on their side had grown. They had a chance._

_"You can do it," Hermione whispered to Harry, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I believe in you." And with those last words, their worlds began to unravel. Words couldn't accurately describe the sickening sights of the war. Blood of wizards and witches spilled on the ground, bodies slumped over with the faces of schoolmates, friends, professors, family. The trio had immediately been separated, and it wasn't until the fall of Voldemort that the battle was over, it was all over. Hermione sat on the cold earth for what felt like ages, trying to let everything sink in and gather the strength to stand. Her body ached and her stomach churned. She could only bring herself to worry about two things at the time: her baby and Ron- Ron! Her eyes spotted him almost instantly, and she scrambled to her feet, running to him despite her soreness. "Ron!" She flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him fiercely. Ron pushed her off, looking at Hermione like she was mental. "What is it?" She asked, fear flashing in her eyes. Had he been hit by a spell? Had he hit his head? "Is Harry alright? Your family? Are they okay?"_

_"Who's Harry?" He asked with wide, confused eyes. "And who are you?" Hermione felt as if the wind was knocked out of her and for a moment she was left speechless._

_"I'm Hermione; you don't know who I am?" Ron shook his head, his eyes blank, empty. Hermione's eyes began to fill with tears. "You don't remember Harry? Ginny?" He shook his head again - nothing. She swallowed hard before asking, "Do you remember the baby?" He continued to stare at her with a vacant expression. At that moment she swore she could feel her heart breaking. "Do you know who you are?" She asked quietly, and cringed when he shook his head once more._

_"Where am I?" He asked, and Hermione couldn't answer. A memory charm, that was the only answer she could think of. He knew nothing about himself, of her... of their baby. He didn't remember anything. She sank to the ground and started to sob uncontrollably as Ron stared off into the distance, trying to figure out where - and who - he was._

_

* * *

_

Hermione's eyes shot open again and this time there were tears welling in her eyes, threatening to fall. She hadn't had that dream in a while, but the more she had it, the more detailed it became. She could hear his voice in her mind even now, asking her who she was. She could feel his hands on her, pushing her away. She could see his empty eyes, void of memories and feeling.

That was nine years ago. After that, Harry had found Ron and Hermione. He'd taken Ron to a healer who specialized in spell damage, who told them what Hermione already predicted - his memory had been erased. When Ron's family found out, they tried everything to reverse its effects. They told him stories, showed him pictures from his childhood, even attempted to give him memories from their own minds. Meanwhile, a very pregnant Hermione sat in another room, curled up in a chair by the window and letting herself cry. There had been one day that Ron had seen her at the Burrow and asked about her, who she was to him. Hermione stuttered out that she was one of his closest friends from school, possibly the closest. It triggered nothing. Instead, he had smiled and nodded. "Like Harry and I!" Although he didn't remember her right away, she didn't let go of her secret hope that he would remember her, remember the baby. But she remained silent about the identity of the father. The Weasleys and Harry all knew, but they didn't speak a word. Ron asked, and they avoided the topic. Harry wanted to tell Ron, but Hermione refused. It was particularly hard for Molly not to say anything to her son, but Hermione was as much a daughter to her as Ginny was, so she remained quiet as well.

Memories soon came back to him. She remembered the first time it happened like it was yesterday. He had been staying at her flat, because the Burrow was full and she happened to have an empty guest room. He ran into her room in the middle of the night, shouting. He said he remembered something about a broom and flying around, and catching a ball that Harry had called a quaffle. He went on about how he blocked the tall goalposts, and how he'd seen Ginny flying around him, and Hermione cheering in the crowd. Other memories came back after a while, memories from school and summer and war. But nothing of Hermione, nothing of their baby, nothing of their love.

Five months after the war, she had given birth. A beautiful baby girl with a head full of red hair, who she named Bonnie Louise Weasley. She swore to herself on that day that, until Ron remembered, she wouldn't tell Bonnie who her father was, and wouldn't tell the father that the infant was his. Days went by, and Ron grew closer to Bonnie, who he affectionately called his niece, and Hermione, who he told everything to. Every dream, every feeling, everything. She felt like they were in school, that she was his best friend again.

All that work to be together, and now they were back where they started: only friends and nothing more.

She bit her lip and looked up at the clock again. It was six in the morning now and she needed to get up. Slipping into her bathrobe, she slid out of her lonely bed and out into the hallway. Someone groaned in the room across the hall, catching her attention. She opened the door slowly, sticking her head in. Ron was sprawled out on the bed, tossing back and forth, mumbling something about slugs, ferrets, and Hagrid. Hermione slipped into the room and over to his bed, running a hand through his thick hair to bring him out of his sleep. His eyes fluttered open almost instantly.

"Hermione?" He asked, squinting to regain his vision. She nodded, sitting beside him on the edge of the bed and continuing to stroke his hair. "I had a strange dream. We were at Hogwarts - did I say that right?" She nodded again. "Well, this blonde arse comes up and said something about you being a mudblood, which Harry told me was a bad thing to call someone so I'm sorry to say it, and I took up for you and used my wand to attack him, but it backfired on me, and I started belching slugs." Hermione sighed, smiling. It had been a while since he'd had a good memory of her. The last one that came to him involved the disaster that was the Yule Ball. "Why are you smiling at that? It was disgusting!"

"It's just funny, Ron." She answered. "That was the first time you really stood up for me. We were basically best friends from then on."

"Except for the Viktor incident." Ron added, grimacing. "And that one other woman, the color. Magenta... no... It was Lavender, I think."

"They don't really count." Hermione replied shyly, her cheeks flushing pink. "They-" She began, but was brought to a halt by a ginger child bursting into the room and leaping onto Ron's bed.

"Uncle Ron!" She exclaimed, tossing her arms around her neck and hugging him. "Good morning!"

"Bonnie!" He laughed, "What do you want? Breakfast?" She sat up and nodded quickly, her arms still around his neck. Ron laughed.

"Mum told me that you used to make the best pancakes in the entire world!" She answered, kissing Ron on the forehead. Ron reddened slightly and shifted in bed, pushing his blankets down. "I'll go get plates out!" Bonnie declared, springing from the bed and sprinting into the kitchen.

"Used to make the best, huh?" Ron looked to Hermione, smirking. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I kind of... haven't eaten them since you, y'know. Lost your memory." Hermione muttered, crimson.

"Bonnie seems to think highly of my cooking. And she is your daughter, so she must take after you." Ron said, pulling on a robe and smoothing it down. "You should try them." Hermione's blush didn't fade. _No, love, she's your child too, and she has your taste more than anything because, just like you, she'll eat anything that stays on a plate long enough._

"I guess you're right." Hermione gave in, rising from the bed and following her daughter to the kitchen. Ron was right behind her. "Need any help with the spells?" She asked out of habit. Ron shook his head, concentrating hard on levitating the ingredients from the cabinets down to the kitchen counter.

"I'm better, Hermione. I can do this on my own." He went to work, and Hermione sat and watched. So much had changed since the accident. His first magical attempt was an "accio" spell, which ended up giving Ginny a large bruise on her back. The healers were amazed by his steady recovery, as was Hermione. Ron had been placed with her for many reasons, but the main one was obvious: she was smart, she could re-teach him spells and help him relearn potions. Harry and Ginny had an ulterior motive, as expected. They thought that, after living with him for a few months, Hermione would realize that she needed to tell Ron about Bonnie. But she didn't, and she wasn't going planning on it anytime soon. A thought ran through her mind as she watched Ron cook.

Soon, he wouldn't need her. Soon, he could move out and make a living on his own. She remembered Harry's cruel yet truthful words that he'd spoken at Bonnie's sixth birthday party: _When is the time, Hermione? When he's decided that he has no romantic past and decides to go off with some random girl and get married and have his own new family? _

She choked on a silent sob.

She thought that she would be happy in the moment she was in right then: Ron making breakfast while Hermione sat at the table with their child. But everything was wrong, everything was messed up. Ron didn't know it was his child, Bonnie didn't know Ron was her father. Ron was cooking for someone who he thought was his niece, but was really his own daughter... it was all wrong.

Ron placed the pancakes on the table, smiling at Bonnie as he did so.

"Eat up, Bonnie. Plenty more if you want. You too, Hermione." He sat down beside her, grinning. Her stomach lurched - he looked _happy_. "What's a matter?" He asked, his hand pressing against her cheek. She shivered at his touch. "You feel warm. Are you ill?" Hermione quickly shook her head.

"No, no. I just, I had a dream too." Ron gave her a sympathetic look.

"About what?" He asked, rubbing her back. She sniffed.

"You. Before your accident." She gave him a weak smile, trying not to think about the fact that he was _touching _her like he was. Bonnie looked up from her plate.

"What's wrong, mum?" She asked, her blue eyes widening. Hermione shook her head.

"Just eat, Bon, I'm fine." Bonnie tilted her head, then resumed stuffing her face with pancakes. Ron looked at Hermione as if he was going to say something, then went back to eating. Hermione took a bite and was immediately thrust back into the past. They tasted just like they used to.

* * *

_"They're ready!" Ron called, and Hermione emerged from the bathroom in one of Ron's t-shirts. Her belly had begun to swell in her fourth month, and her own clothes weren't fitting. Ron had graciously allowed her to borrow his clothes until she went shopping. The smell of pancakes and maple syrup wafted down the hall, and Hermione smiled, wandering into the kitchen._

_"You're amazing, you know that?" Hermione asked, sitting at the table. Ron laughed, placing breakfast in front of her and taking his seat. She immediately began eating._

_"It's good to see you eating again." Ron laughed. "For a while there, I thought it was my cooking that was making you throw up." He reached across the table to rub Hermione's belly. She giggled. "But it was just this little devil." He grinned and kissed her on the cheek, moving back into his seat._

_"Well, for a while, I thought it was your cooking too." Hermione responded, smiling. Ron sighed, rolling his eyes._

_"Honestly, darling, what am I going to do with you?" He asked, shaking his head._

_"Never leave me," Hermione responded, a far-away look in her eyes. "No matter how crazy I get." Ron blushed without thinking, reaching across the table to take her free hand._

_"I won't." He answered. "No matter what happens, I'll always be here." She smiled, and then shut her eyes quickly, as if in pain. "What?" Ron asked, his eyes widening._

_"The baby..." Hermione placed her hand on her belly. "It just kicked." She looked up at him and beamed. "Want to feel it?" Ron nodded anxiously, placing his hand on her belly again. The baby kicked once more, and Ron's eyes brightened._

_"Was that..." He looked to Hermione, who nodded. "That's amazing, love. That's just... amazing." He kissed her softly, and she sighed, relaxing in his arms._

_Just then, Harry apparated into their flat, frantically shouting and screaming about the final battle, and Hermione and Ron's moment was over. The war was at its peak, and they had to go._

* * *

Hermione returned from her flashback and looked up to see her daughter - Ron's daughter - eating her pancakes, only eating, and she felt her heart began to ache. She looked away and pushed her plate back, quickly getting up from the table. "I have to go to Ginny's. Can you watch Bonnie for an hour?" She was turned away from him so that he couldn't see her tears. The last time she had broken down was nearly a year ago, when Ron asked who Lavender Brown was. She had to get away this time; she couldn't let him watch her cry. She couldn't let him try and console her, not this time.

She had to talk to someone, and at that moment, the only person she wanted to talk to was Ginny Potter.

"Yeah, but what's wrong? Do they taste funny? What did I do?" Ron began, standing up and looking at his friend. Hermione shook her head and disapparated with a loud 'pop' before he received her answer. Hermione appeared at the door to the Potter flat, opening it and slipping inside. The kids were with Molly Weasley, and Harry was at work. Ginny, being pregnant again and in her seventh month was at home on maternity leave.

"Ginny!" She called weakly, her voice wavering. "Ginny, I need you!" Ginny appeared in the hallway, and waddled down to where Hermione was standing. As soon she got there, Hermione collapsed on the floor, dissolving into sobs. Ginny swallowed, blinking back her own tears. She knew how hard this was on Hermione. It had been almost ten years, and Ron still remembered nothing about their past. It had taken him five years to start remembering things, and by letting him live with Hermione, she thought the memories would be of her. But there was nothing. Hermione made the decision to keep Bonnie's father a secret from Ron - the father - and from Bonnie. It was difficult, she knew. Ginny also knew that if this was her situation, she wouldn't break down on a yearly basis - she wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the mornings. Hermione put up a false bravado, but it was all down now as she lay weeping on Ginny's floor.

"What happened?" Ginny was almost afraid to ask, slowly sinking to her knees and placing a hand on her friend's shoulders. Hermione sat up, her eyes watering. She breathed in an unsteady breath, and then began to cry again.

"Pancakes!" She wailed. "He- and I- and pancakes!" She reached out to Ginny, and Ginny pulled her friend against her. She didn't quite know what Hermione meant, but she could visibly see the pain in her eyes. She held her to her chest and tried her best to soothe her, knowing it was impossible.

"Just let it out, love. Just let it all out." She combed her fingers through the girl's thick hair, rocking her back and forth like she was a child who couldn't go to sleep after a bad dream.

"He can remember so much, and I'm so proud of him! But I just want him to remember who I am! Who Bonnie is and why she looks so much like him! How much he loved me! He can remember quidditch games and wars and belching slugs, but he can't remember loving me!" Hermione inhaled and exhaled raggedly, clinging to Ginny like she was her only hope. "I just want him to love me again, Ginny. Is that too much to ask? I just want him to love me... just want him to love me..."  
_  
His lips on mine, his arm around me, and our daughter being able to call him daddy... that's all I want..._

* * *

**Authors Note:** Goodness, I was not expecting that kind of reaction to my prologue! I think I had seven or eight emails telling me you guys subscribed to my story - thank you so much! It means a lot to me. After this chapter and the next, the new writing begins and updates might take a little bit longer than they do with just me editing. But I hope these two chapters are long enough to tide you over while I work. Once again, thank you so much for your support, and please feel free to leave reviews telling me what you think!


	3. Bonnie

Bonnie Weasley was a beautiful, talented, and brilliant child. She started displaying magical ability when she was merely two years old, earlier than most wizarding children. And even in her younger years, she was doing magic that most children didn't know until they were at Hogwarts. But that's what happens when Hermione Granger is your mother. When she was smaller, she loved to enchant her dolls and stuffed animals to where they would walk through the house. It scared Hermione silly, but always got a good laugh from Ron and whoever else was around. At age nine, she already knew how to levitate objects and "accio" her books from her bookshelf. The books on her bookshelf were large and scholarly, with a few rather interesting ones that told the story of Harry Potter and his friends. Her favorite was Hogwarts, A History: Edited For Little Wizards and Witches, which she had read nearly seven times. She was a smart girl, and everyone knew she would be the top of her class at Hogwarts. She was also a skilled quidditch player. Harry gave her a broom when she was just five years old. She couldn't stay out of the air since, and when everyone got together at the Burrow and the time came for the family quidditch match, everyone wanted her on their team. Everyone expected her to follow in the footsteps of her parents: brilliant student, amazing quidditch player.

She looked just like Ron, and everyone could see it. The people on the street who had never met them before thought that the little ginger girl who was holding the hand of the tall ginger man was his daughter. After Hermione had abruptly left the breakfast table, Ron had hurried Bonnie along, rushing her to get eat and dress. He had decided to take her to see Lillie and James, Harry and Ginny's children. He'd flooed to Diagon Alley first, to stop by his brothers' store and see where the two Potter kids were. Bonnie didn't like Diagon Alley much, so she held tight to Ron's hand and hurried alongside him.

"I think they're at the Burrow today, Uncle Ron." She repeated for the third time. Ron, however, wanted to find out for sure. Besides, he didn't like apparating that much, he hadn't completely gotten the hang of it and didn't want to splinch anyone. And he didn't want to floo into someone's home unannounced either, even his parents home.

"I want to make sure." He told Bonnie. "And don't you want to see Uncle George and Uncle Fred?" Bonnie laughed, nodding. They turned the corner, and Bonnie accidentally ran into a short woman with a catlike face, Headmistress McGonagall.

"I'm sorry!" Bonnie exclaimed, turning around. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

"I'm just fine, thanks." The woman replied, looking at Bonnie for a moment. She then looked up at Ron, and recognition flashed in her eyes. "Merlin, you look so much like your father, Bonnie. Good day." She turned and was gone in an instant. Bonnie was puzzled the rest of the walk, remaining silent in her thoughts. _Who was that woman? How did she know me? And how does she know my dad?_ They arrived at the shop, and like Bonnie been telling her uncle the entire time, Lillie and James were at the Burrow. Ronald laughed, and they flooed from the shop to the Burrow, stepping out into the large living room.

"I'll come get you in a few hours, alright?" Ron said when they arrived, patting her shoulder. "Have fun." He stepped backwards into the fireplace and disappearing with a swirl of green fire and bright light. Bonnie sighed, walking to the back door that led out to the garden and backyard. Lillie and James, along with her Uncle George's son Mason, were playing a game of tag. She sighed again, the sound coming from her mouth identical to the sighs that Hermione made when she was frustrated; she didn't feel like playing anymore. Bonnie turned and slowly made her way to the couch, sitting down and trying to think. Her nine-year-old mind was filled with thoughts about so many things that she felt overwhelmed. She couldn't stop thinking about the woman on the street, the one who told her that she looked just like her father.

_Everyone says I look like my dad._

_Why did he leave me?_

_Did he not want me?_

She thought to herself, staring up at the ceiling. _But I don't have a dad. So how can they know? Do they know my dad? _She had noticed it before now; all of her cousins had someone they called their father. All of them but her. Why? This question never bothered her much before. But it did now. She tried to imagine what her dad looked like. She looked just like him, everyone said, so he had to have red hair and freckles and blue eyes, just like she did. What was he like? Did he like to read like her mum? Did he play quidditch? Did he know magic? What was his name?

She closed her eyes. What can I do to find him? Right then, she sat upright on the couch and decided that she was going to ask someone about her father. Maybe they would have a picture or a story to tell her! Just as she decided to do so, Bill Weasley walked into the Burrow. Bonnie leapt to her feet and ran over, hugging him. "Uncle Bill!" She shouted, holding him tight.

"Bonnie!" Bill exclaimed, taken aback by the surprise hug from his niece. "When did you get here?"

"Uncle Ron thought I'd like to spend some time with Lillie and James. Mum got upset this morning and she left, and I think Uncle Ron wanted to talk to her." She smiled, looking up at Bill.

"What happened to your mum?" He asked, a bit hesitant.

"Uncle Ron's pancakes made her a little sick, I think." Bill nodded, knowing that this probably wasn't the complete truth, if it was even true at all. Hermione had been more and more emotional as of late, especially since Ron remembered Lavender and Krum. His heart ached for little Bonnie. "Uncle Bill, can I ask you something?" Bill nodded.

"Anything, love. What is it?" Bonnie took his hand in her small one and led him to the couch, sitting down beside him. There was a long pause as she looked for the words to say.

"Do I have a father?" She asked, wringing her hands. Bill froze, unsure of what to say. What would Hermione want him to say? Bonnie took Bill's silence as a request for her to continue. "Bunches of people tell me that I look like him. When Uncle Ron walked with me here, this woman on the street told me that I looked just like my father. How come she knows my dad and I don't?" Bill was quiet for a brief moment before speaking.

"Yes, Bonnie. You have a father. Everyone has a father." Bill took a breath, trying to think of something to say next. How could Hermione do this to her child? Make her believe that she has no father? He looked at Bonnie, who was staring at her hands in her lap. "I happen to have met your father." Her small blue eyes lit up.

"Really? What was he like? Did he look like me? Did he say anything about me? Was he nice? Did he play quidditch? Was-" Bonnie jumped up and down as she spoke, and Bill's heart felt like it was being twisted in his chest.

"He's a wonderful man, Bonnie. He likes quidditch, just like you. And you, child, are a replica of him." He softly touched the child's red locks, colored and textured like his poor brother. Bonnie smiled, looking into the distance. She then frowned.

"Why isn't he here, then? Did he not want me?" Her lower lip began to quiver, and Bill wondered how long she had held this in, the emotions and longing for her father.

"No, not that at all. Never think that. You see, your dad got hit by a spell. And he was never the same." Bill managed, avoiding looking at Bonnie. She sighed, looking at her feet. "But he loved you more than anything, Bon. He loved you before you were even born. And he still loves you, I'm sure." I know he does, even if he doesn't know you're his child. He loves you.

"Poor daddy." She whispered, and Bill could see Hermione in the little girl sitting beside him, and he could see his brother in her eyes. He put an arm around her, and just as he went to speak, Ron opened the door. Bonnie jumped from the couch and ran to Ron, hugging him. "Uncle Ron, is mommy okay?"

"She's fine, Bon. She asked me to come back and get you." He looked at Bill. "Hey, Bill! I haven't seen you in a while." Bill had to restrain his words. He wanted to tell Ron and Bonnie everything, right then and there. But he knew that it was not his place to do so. It hurt him to stay silent, to watch a sad little girl hug her "Uncle" Ron, who was actually her father, when moments before she was crying for her dad. And to see his brother hug his Bonnie, and not even know that the beautiful child was his own creation... it made the silence hurt worse.

"How are you? Everything alright?" Bill asked, walking over. Ron nodded, running a hand through Bonnie's hair, who was leaning against him.

"I had a dream last night. Hermione said it was from when I was twelve. I was belching slugs, and it was vile. Hermione sure got a kick out of it, though." Bill chuckled, leaning down to kiss Bonnie on the head.

"Goodbye, Bonnie. Tell your mum to let you come see your Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur more often, okay?" She nodded. "Keep going, Ron. Soon you'll remember everything." He patted his brother on the back, and Ron smiled.

"I'll try." He answered, walking over to the fireplace. "You want to do it this time?" He asked Bonnie. She beamed, nodding as she took some floo powder in her hand. The pair climbed into the fireplace and Ron placed his hands on Bonnie's shoulders. "Go on." He told her, giving her shoulders a light squeeze.

"The Terrace!" She shouted, beaming. She loved it when Uncle Ron let her floo, it made her feel older. They were engulfed in a green flame and transported back to Hermione's flat. When they got there, Hermione was sitting on the couch. She looked up and smiled when her daughter emerged from the fireplace. "Mum! Uncle Ron let me floo us!" Hermione welcomed Bonnie into a hug, laughing halfheartedly.

"That's great, darling. Listen, I have to talk to Uncle Ron for a moment, would you mind going to your room for just a few minutes?" Bonnie looked from Ron to her mother, then nodded, turning and heading in the direction of her room. Hermione sighed, turning to Ron. "Ron, I'm sorry for this morning. I..." What was the right word? She paused, biting her lip. "I was upset. It wasn't about your cooking or anything. I've just been... really stressed out... and it's been building up for quite some time." She frowned, nibbling her lip. Ron nodded.

"I understand." He smiled softly, touching her arm. She shivered. "I must be a bother for you to put up with some times, what with my lack of memory. We must have been really close before the accident."

"We were." Hermione answered, blushing. "As close as two friend could be." She sat down on the couch again, and he sat in front of her. Her heart was aching still from earlier today, and she felt tears welling in her eyes against her will.

"As close as I was to Harry?" He asked, looking into her eyes to see if they held answers. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah." She responded, diverting her eyes from his. _Only you and Harry don't have a child_. Her heart was still racing. "We were close, the three of us."

"I wish I remembered it all." Ron spoke after a silence. Hermione looked down to the floor at her feet, trying to keep from crying again.

"I wish you did too." She whispered. Ron saw a tear in her eyes, and reached out to put his arms her. She allowed him, leaning into him, against his warm body. _Remember me, Ron. Remember me... remember us..._ "But you're trying so hard." She told him softly, barely able to get her words out. He pulled her closer to him, and her heart nearly stopped. She nestled her head in the crook of her neck, allowing a single tear to fall roll down her cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

Bonnie stepped out of the hallway and back into her room. She knew she shouldn't have been listening, but she thought that maybe, just maybe, what her mum had to tell Uncle Ron was about her father. But all she found out was that Uncle Ron had been in an accident that caused him to forget about something, and it made her mum upset.

_Poor mum_.

She sighed, taking her long hair out of its ponytail and brushing through it. _Alright_, she thought to herself, _I know four things about my father_. She took out a piece of paper and a quill, and started writing.

_my dad__  
1. he has red hair and lots of freckles like me  
__2. he likes to play quidditch  
__3. he was hit by a spell that changed him  
__4. he loves me very much_

She looked at the paper for about ten minutes, studying it. She memorized the words in her mind, reading the note through and through, then folded it in half and placed it on her bedside table. Just as she did, her mother came into her room.

"I'm sorry about today, honey. I've been a little under the weather lately; I think I've been working too much." She kissed Bonnie on the forehead. "How about tomorrow, you and I go to the park? You can fly around for a while if you want. I think it would be nice to spend some time together."

"Can Uncle Ron come? Please let him!" She added, grinning. Uncle Ron was always more fun to play quidditch with than her mother was, mainly because her mother couldn't balance on a broom long enough to play. Hermione bit her lip, and then nodded.

"Uncle Ron can come." Hermione smiled, "Now go on and sleep. We wouldn't want you falling off that broom tomorrow." She gave Bonnie a hug, and kissed her again. "Goodnight, Bonnie." Bonnie kissed her mother on the cheek and smiled.

"Night, mum." She climbed into bed and turned off the lights. Once she was sure that her mother was gone, she pulled out her list. She didn't unfold it, she just fingered it gingerly, knowing what was inside of it by heart already, and then kissed it. "I'm going to find you, daddy. And I'll know when I do. Because I look like you, and you'll be easy to spot." She tucked the note in her chest pocket."Soon I'll have a father." She yawned, drifting off to sleep. "Soon I will... someday really soon..."

* * *

**Authors Note**: You've made it to the third chapter! This is where the already-written parts of the story come to and end and the new writing begins. The reaction I've had from posting this has been absolutely wonderful, you guys don't understand how happy it makes me that people are actually enjoying my story! Keep reading, keep reviewing! I have final exams this week, but I hope to have a new chapter up within a week :)


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